State administration burden from ever increasing villages
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, August 14, 2012:
Popping out of many so called new villages with the sole aim of getting some mere benefits from the government is looming large to affect the public administration as
well as the security of the state.
According to a reliable source, numerous so called new villages which are not qualified to become villages have been popping out
in the hills districts of the state in the past 50 years, thereby posing a great hurdle to the public administration.
Moreover, the issue has contributed its due share
of problems to the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
Increase in the number of villages has also been giving additional financial burden to the state
exchequer.
The source pointed out that the Hills Department Manipur (Village Authorities in Hills Areas) Act, 1956 allows recognition of new villages only if the
concerned authority and the neighbouring villages gave their consent.
However, many new villages have been created in the hills with complete disregard to the
provisions of the said Act and without any proper reason.
In the last 50 years, 818 new villages have been created in Manipur, mostly in the hill districts.
Number
of villages in the state in accordance to the 1961 census was 1769.But the figure has increased to 2587 in the 2011 census.
The rate of decadal increase, thus
recorded, is 96.45 villages per 10 years.
The total increase in Senapati district is 317 while the figure in other districts are respectively 196 in Chandel, 310 in
Churachandpur, nine in Tamenglong, 90 in Ukhrul, four in Bishnupur, 94 in Thoubal, 90 in Imphal West.
Contrary to other districts where increase in the number of
villages has been recorded, Imphal East district witnessed a decrease of 67 villages in the past 50 years.